There is always euphoria when one hears a cover of rock anthems. What if one could listen to the grooviest rock song blended perfectly with the trippiest Bollywood hit number? That is what Zehen promises. The Bengaluru-based experimental groove band is making waves in the circuit with their signature mash-up mix of almost all genres of music combining their own take on R&B hits, pop cult classics, reggae, soul, jazz and rock tunes with some Bollywood thrown in for good measure.
Comprising Ashley Joseph on guitars and backing vocals, Tanushree Dwivedi on vocals, Naresh Nathan on bass guitar, Mark Escottee on lead guitar and David Boon on drums, Zehen is a tight set-up with a strong emphasis on singer-friendly music.
In fact, Ashley says Zehen has caught on with Bengaluru’s music lovers so much that they’re playing seven gigs in the next five days! “On Sunday, we’re looking forward to our gig at Big Brewsky with lot of our friends attending and in the evening we are playing at Forum Mall. So it is quite an exciting Sunday.”
Elaborating on their sound, Ashley says Zehen is a proper mash-up band. “It is all about fusing two great songs, but not losing the element of either. Also these are not just random songs that have the same chord pattern. The mash is so well connected that until and unless you listen to the songs individually, you may not even realise it. For example, we put together Bon Jovi and A R Rahman with ‘O Hum Dum Suniyo Re’ that flows into ‘It’s My Life’. The crowds go berserk when we do mash the two together. We also add a distinct classical touch to the songs with our violinist.” The biggest takeaway for their audience, he says, is that they are a powerhouse of voices and music and have a unique sound. “I can vouch for it when I tell you there is no band like us in this part of the country.”
Having grown up abroad, Tanushree says, in the US, she experienced a very different aspect of Bollywood music. “There is a huge craze there, but I was exposed to it in a very NRI kind of way. It was more focussed on the popular songs from the 80s and 90s. When I came to India later, I realized there is a major shift in the sound now. So my influences came from all those experiences.” Ashley too, draws from a very diverse background after having dabbled in rock, jazz and reggae before settling on Zehen’s sound. “While the music I used to play before had a selective audience, what I play now with Zehen caters to everyone.”
On the scope for this genre in Bengaluru’s music scene, Ashley says they are the ones creating the space for it. “We are definitely drawing in a good crowd but we won’t stop here. We want to take it to the next level. Small tours are in the pipeline and we want to take our music out. An album of original music is also in the offing. We want to strike a balance between covers and originals. All our songs are absolutely singer-friendly and most concerts, we have everyone in the crowd singing along.”
The name Zehen means cognisance, explains Ashley. “It means leaving a lasting impression in the mind. And when people go home from our gig, we want them to leave with a lasting impression,” he sums up.
Catch Zehen in Woodstock Sessions at Big Brewsky, Sarjapur Road, on May 28 at 1 pm. Entry free. Call 39514766
